Organic solvent born silicone adhesives, silicone release coatings, and silicone paints, etc. have been in use for a number of years. Growing concern over the release of these organic solvents into the atmosphere and over worker safety upon exposure to the solvents when applying the above products has prompted both industry and government to restrict their use and solvent content. Thus, there is growing pressure to remove organic solvents from many silicone products.
A preferred course for removing the organic solvents is to replace the solvent with a water emulsion of silicone. However, as with most apparently simple solutions there are several problems which arise upon using silicone emulsions in water. Not the least of these problems is that a silicone hydride, i.e. a compound having Si--H groups is unstable in water and will react to form Si--OH and hydrogen gas. Silicone hydrides are a key component to crosslink and cure vinyl addition cured silicone compositions which is the base of many of the above mentioned products.
Thus, silicone adhesives, silicone release coatings and silicone paints which are blended from vinyl addition cured silicone compositions cannot be practically applied from water emulsions. Such water emulsions will gas, making even short term storage in drums, pails and other standard containers unwise and unsafe.
It is an object of the present invention to stabilize silicone hydrides in water emulsion.
It is another object of the present invention to make a stable emulsion of silicone hydride in water which may be combined with a water emulsion of vinyl silicone and catalyst to form a curable silicone emulsion in water.
These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by means of the disclosure set forth hereinbelow.